Here's a detailed article on "Key Concepts in MDG: Data Quality, Data Consistency, Data Stewardship" tailored for the subject SAP Master Data Governance (SAP-MDG) in the SAP domain:
In today’s digital economy, master data serves as the backbone of enterprise operations—driving transactions, analytics, and compliance across systems. SAP Master Data Governance (SAP MDG) is a key solution in the SAP ecosystem designed to ensure that this critical data is accurate, consistent, and governed throughout its lifecycle. Among the core principles of MDG are data quality, data consistency, and data stewardship—each playing a fundamental role in maintaining the integrity and value of master data.
This article explores these three concepts and how they are implemented and sustained within SAP MDG.
Data quality refers to the degree to which data is accurate, complete, valid, and relevant for its intended purpose. High-quality data enables efficient business processes, reduces operational risks, and improves decision-making.
SAP MDG incorporates robust features to monitor, manage, and improve data quality, including:
Poor data quality leads to incorrect reporting, failed transactions, and regulatory non-compliance. In MDG, ensuring data quality is not just a one-time effort but a continuous process embedded in governance workflows.
Data consistency ensures that data remains uniform and synchronized across systems, applications, and processes. In a complex enterprise landscape, data must follow the same definitions and standards across all environments.
SAP MDG addresses consistency through:
Inconsistent data can lead to transactional errors, reporting discrepancies, and lost revenue. SAP MDG ensures that consistent master data fuels reliable enterprise-wide processes and analytics.
Data stewardship is the practice of managing and overseeing data assets to ensure they are used responsibly and remain high in quality. It involves human roles, responsibilities, and accountability for data.
SAP MDG provides a framework for effective data stewardship:
Even the best tools require governance structures and human oversight. Data stewardship ensures that individuals are responsible for maintaining the quality and consistency of master data, creating a culture of accountability.
SAP Master Data Governance provides a robust platform for managing enterprise master data, but its success hinges on mastering the key concepts of data quality, data consistency, and data stewardship. These pillars are interconnected—ensuring that data is not only correct and consistent but also responsibly governed. By embedding these principles into daily business practices, organizations can unlock the full value of their data, drive operational excellence, and become truly data-driven enterprises.